2009 RFL Championship

The 2009 Co-operative Championship is a semi-professional rugby league football competition played in the United Kingdom and France one tier below the first tier Super League. The two worst performing teams during the season, with the exception of Toulouse Olympique, will be relegated to Championship 1.

Co-operative Championship 2009
LeagueCo-operative Championship
Teams11
Attendance217,362 (average 1,874)
2009 Season
Season Champions Barrow Raiders
League Leaders Barrow Raiders
Runners-up Halifax
Promotion and relegation
Relegated to Championship 1Leigh Centurions(Subsequently Reprieved)
Doncaster
Gateshead Thunder(Subsequently Disqualified)

There is no automatic promotion from this league to Super League, which uses a licensing system renewed every three years. Qualifying for the Grand Final is a prerequisite for Championship clubs to be able to apply for license in the next round of applications for the 2012–14 period.

The competition was very close with most teams having a chance of making the top 6 going into the final round. In the end Barrow Raiders topped the standings followed by Halifax. The Leigh Centurions were relegated on the final day of competition despite finishing only third to last and Doncaster were also relegated but their fate had been sealed for some time. In the weeks following the competitions completion, Gateshead Thunder were eliminated following salary cap breaches and subsequently relegated to the Championship 1 for 2010, Leigh Centurions were therefore reprieved from relegation and remained in the Championship for 2010.

In the playoffs, Widnes Vikings and Featherstone Rovers advance from the first week to play each other. Featherstone won this game which gave them the chance to take on Halifax, who lost their game to Barrow, for a spot in the grand final. Halifax won and went on to play Barrow in the final but lost 26-18.

Table
2009 Co-operative Championship
# Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts
1 Barrow Raiders 201307632261271544
2 Halifax 201307714476238443
3 Sheffield Eagles 201109635447188942
4 Widnes Vikings 201109649438211639
5 Whitehaven 201208565567−2339
6 Featherstone Rovers 20120861952495137
7 Gateshead Thunder 20929610657−47332
8 Batley Bulldogs 208210536620−84632
9 Leigh Centurions 209011426572−146532
10 Toulouse Olympique XIII 209011556582−26330(a)
11 Doncaster 201019257955−6985-1(b)
  Teams qualifying for the Play-offs
  Teams in relegation position

Source: Co-Operative Championship Table
Note (a): Toulouse were exempt from relegation.
Note: (b): Doncaster lost 9 competition points for entering administration.
Classification: 1st on league points; 2nd on match points difference.
League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.
Pld = Games played; W = Wins; D = Draws; L = Losses; PF = Match points scored; PA = Match points conceded; PD = Points difference; BP = Bonus Points; Pts = League points.

Play-offs

The Co-operative Championship uses a top 6 play-off system.

Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Widnes Vikings 26 – 21 Whitehaven 10 September, 19:30 GMT Stobart Stadium 2,375
Sheffield Eagles 8 – 32 Featherstone Rovers 11 September, 20:00 GMT Don Valley Stadium 808
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Barrow Raiders 35 – 12 Halifax 17 September, 19:30 GMT Craven Park Thierry Alibert 2823
Widnes Vikings 24 – 32 Featherstone Rovers 18 September, 20:00 GMT Stobart Stadium Ben Thaler 3,296
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Halifax 36 – 30 Featherstone Rovers 24 September, 19:30 GMT Shay Stadium Ian Smith 2,556

Grand Final
Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Attendance
Barrow Raiders 26 – 18 Halifax 4 October, 17:30 Halliwell Jones Stadium P Bentham 11,398

Attendances
Team Played Highest Lowest Total Average
1 Widnes Vikings 125,2362,37543,7523,646
2 Halifax 113,2742,00225,8122,347
3 Barrow Raiders 113,0501,69325,3262,302
4 Toulouse Olympique 103,2061,20021,7882,179
5 Leigh Centurions 102,7211,39419,8431,984
6 Featherstone Rovers 102,6731,34618,0841,808
7 Whitehaven 102,7081,17516,6981,670
8 Sheffield Eagles 111,45780912,5461,141
9 Batley Bulldogs 101,4305808,952895
10 Doncaster 101,0962756,693669
11 Gateshead Thunder 101,0334056,470647
Total11511,398275217,3621,874

Rugby League Crowds - 2009 Co-operative Champs

See also

Team season articles
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